Dave Crist (born November 10, 1982) is an American professional wrestler who competes on the independent circuit alongside his brother Jake and Sami Callihan is a member of the stable Ohio Versus Everything (oVe). Crist, along with his brother, has appeared with numerous independent promotions, including Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, International Wrestling Cartel, IGNITE Wrestling, and Heartland Wrestling Association under the names The Irish Airborne and Ohio Is 4 Killers (OI4K).
Professional wrestling career
Early career
Both Dave and Jake were fans of professional wrestling growing up, favoring wrestling styles of a more extreme nature such as the Hardy Boyz in the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match and the promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling. The two brothers along with other friends from high school began a backyard wrestling promotion. The promotion drew attention from large numbers of students from their high school and even drew the attention of the local media in a news segment. They were introduced to their trainer Bill Kovaleski who himself was in the process of forming an independent promotion and was looking for young talent. From that point on, they began formally training as singles wrestlers under the names Lotus and Crazy J. At a local promotion named UCW, there was a chance encounter with Shark Boy, who invited the brothers to a match in his Buckeye Pro Wrestling company.
Buckeye Pro Wrestling (2004)
Under the names Lotus and Crazy J, the Crists made their debut in Buckeye Pro Wrestling against Dean and Chet Jablonski in which they were defeated. The Crists continued to wrestle their way through the ranks of BPW often feuding with the team of American Youth, ultimately defeating them on 24 February 2004 to become the BPW Tag Team Champions. During their time in BPW, the Crists had chances to work on cross promotion shows with Heartland Wrestling Association and were eventually offered a match with HWA.
Heartland Wrestling Association (2004–present)
Now achieving their high school goal, the Crists entered HWA. They became instant fan favorites due to their performance in BPW and the shared fan base. Their first match was a four-way tag match teaming with Viper and Zeta against 4BJ, J.T. Stahr & Jimmy Turner & Ala Hussein. Airborne had continued success in HWA leading to a tag team title championship victory against Necessary Roughness in May 2005. As success came quickly for the brothers, so did tension, ultimately leading to a bloody feud that began in the Fall of 2005 and lasted through early 2006. The feud culminated in a best of seven series in which each brother would attempt to top the other in amounts of violence and wit. The feud finally ended in one of HWA's bloodiest and most gruesome ladder matches to date. Both men realizing neither could top the other ended the feud and began to wrestle as a team once again.
Ring of Honor (2006–2007)
On 27 January 2006, the Crists were given an opportunity to wrestle a dark match in Ring of Honor against each other in which Lotus defeated Crazy J. The following evening they were again given an opportunity to wrestle in a dark match, this time as a tag team against Shane Hagadorn & Conrad Kennedy III in which they won. On 4 March 2006, at an Insanity Pro Wrestling show in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Airborne announced that they would be no longer be wrestling under the names of Lotus and Crazy J, but instead under their real names of Dave and Jake Crist as The Irish Airborne. On March 11, 2006, at Arena Warfare the Crists were able to earn a roster spot with ROH as they took on and defeated Tony Mamaluke and Sal Rinauro at the old ECW Arena.
Combat Zone Wrestling (2011–2012; 2014–present)
Dave Crist would also make his CZW debut celebrating Jake's Wired TV Championship win. Dave though, would show more concern about his brother's TV title than in Jake's well being. After the show Dustin Rayz would confront the Irish Airborne about Dave getting involved in his match against Jake. Rayz would then challenge Dave Crist at CZW Cerebral. Dave would go one to win that match. Jake Crist successfully defended his Wired TV title against Latin Dragon earlier that night. On April 14, 2012, Dave defeated Jake with a low blow to win the CZW Wired TV Championship. Upon entering CZW, the Irish Airborne formed the stable Ohio Is 4 Killers (OI4K) with Nevaeh and Sami Callihan.
On September 27, 2014, at Deja Vu, OI4K defeated the Juicy Product to win the CZW World Tag Team Championship. On July 11, 2015, at New Heights, OI4K lost the CZW World Tag Team Championship to Team Tremendous. In Infinity Pro Wrestling, the Crist Brothers defeated Donnie and Jacob Hollows.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling (2010–present)
The Irish Airborne debuted in Juggalo Championship Wrestling on May 16, 2010 in a losing effort to JCW Tag Team Champions Thomaselli Brothers. On May 26, the duo debuted as the masked tag team Ring Rydas. Jake, as Ring Ryda Red, and Dave, as Ring Ryda Blue, lost to Thomaselli Brothers. At Oddball Wrestling 2010, Ring Rydas defeated The Daivari Brothers (Shawn & Ariya Daivari). The following night at Bloodymania IV, the duo lost in a Fatal 4-way Tag Team match that also featured the Haters, The Briscoe Brothers, and The Kings of Wrestling. At 2011's Up in Smoke, the duo defeated Mad Man Pondo and Necro Butcher to become JCW Tag Team Champions. At the next JCW iPPV St. Andrews Brawl they defeated the Haters in their first titles defense. On July 28, the Ring Rydas lost the JCW Tag Team Championship to U-Gene and Zach Gowen. However, Gowen forfeited the championship after realizing that U-Gene cheated to win and gave the championships back to the Rydas. On December 20, 2014, at Big Ballas, Ring Rydas lost the titles against The Hooligans.
Big Japan Pro Wrestling (2013)
On September 10, 2013, Big Japan Pro Wrestling announced that the Irish Airborne, representing CZW, would be making their Japanese debuts, when they take part in the 2013 Dai Nihon Saikyo Tag League, which runs from September 25 to November 22. The Irish Airborne finished their tournament on October 18 with a record of two wins and three losses, failing to advance from their block.
IMPACT Wrestling (2017–present)
Dave and Jake would make their debut on August 17 at Destination X, under the name Ohio Versus Everything (oVe), defeating Jason Cade and Zachary Wentz in a tag team match. On August 20, they defeated LAX (Santana & Ortiz) to win the GFW World Tag Team Championship at Victory Road. On the October 12 edition of IMPACT!, LAX invoked their rematch clause by challenging oVe to a 5150 Street Fight at Bound for Glory. Upon accepting, LAX attacked oVe. At Bound for Glory, Sami Callihan would debut as well as establish his alliance with the Crist brothers in IMPACT Wrestling by helping them defeat LAX, with Jake Crist low blowing Ortiz before Callihan delivered a piledriver through a table for the win. They then proceeded to attack LAX after the match, resulting in a double turn where oVe turned heel.
In wrestling
- Finisher moves
- Square and Compass (Reverse STO transitioned into DDT)
- Mary Magdalene (Double jump springboard cutter)
- Signature moves
- Casket Cutter (Jumping cutter)
- Diving double foot stomp
- Enziguri
- Facebreaker
- Superkick
- Managers
- Brittany Blake
- Neveah
- Nicknames
- "The King of Dayton"
- "Human Gif Machine"
- Entrance themes
- Independent circuit
- "Let's Go All the Way by Insane Clown Posse (used while teaming with Crazy J)
- "Walking Dead" by Dropkick Murphys (used as a member of The Irish Airborne)
- "We Are 138" by The Misfits
- "Gutshot" by Hail to the King (used as a member of Ohio Is 4 Killers)
- "OI4K" by Geoffrey Stump (used as a member of Ohio Is 4 Killers)
- Combat Zone Wrestling
- "We Are 138" by The Misfits
- "Bad Things" by Wednesday 13
- "Gutshot" by Hail to the King (used as a member of Ohio Is 4 Killers)
- "OI4K" by Geoffrey Stump (used as a member of Ohio Is 4 Killers)
- "Reign of Darkness" by Thy Art Is Murder (used as a member of Scarlet and Graves)
- "Square Hammer" by Ghost
- Juggalo Championship Wrestling
- "Duk Da Fuk Down" by Psychopathic Rydas (used as a member or The Ring Rydas)
- IMPACT Wrestling
- "oVe Theme" by Dale Oliver (used as a member of Ohio Versus Everything)
- "oVe" by Stefon Galifianakis (used as a member of Ohio Versus Everything)
- Independent circuit
Championships and accomplishments
- All American Wrestling
- AAW Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Jake Crist
- Alpha-1 Wrestling
- A1 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- Absolute Intense Wrestling
- AIW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- American Pro Wrestling Alliance
- APWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- Combat Zone Wrestling
- CZW Wired TV Championship (1 time)
- CZW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- Best of the Best 16
- Destination One Wrestling
- D1W Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- Harvest Cup (2014)
- IMPACT Wrestling
- Impact Wrestling World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- Heartland Wrestling Association
- HWA Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Jake Crist
- Infinity Pro Reign
- Infinity Pro Duos Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- Insanity Pro Wrestling
- IPW Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- IPW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Jake Crist
- IPW Super Junior Heavyweight Tournament (2004 and 2006)
- IWA East Coast
- IWA East Coast Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Jake Crist
- Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
- IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Cartel
- IWC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jake Crist
- Juggalo Championship Wrestling
- JCW Tag Team Championship (5 times, current) – with Jake Crist
- Northwest Ohio Wrestling
- NOW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Glass City Tournament (2016)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #306 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2015
- Rockstar Pro Wrestling
- Rockstar Pro Championship (1 time)
- Rockstar Pro American Luchacore Championship (1 time)
- Rockstar Pro Trios Championship (1 time, current) – with Jake Crist and Jessicka Havok
- Style Battle
- Style Battle #1
- Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling
- XICW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Aaron Williams, Dave Crist, Dezmond Xavier, Kyle Maverick, Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz